Pele - A Path To Journey Beyond her Caldera

Who is Pele?

Pele is a Polynesian Goddess “born” in Tahiti (or Bora Bora), one of the daughters of Kanehoalani, a Fertility Goddess, and Haumea, the Sky God. In lore, she is not only the Goddess of Fire, but is the very embodiment of the element of Fire itself. The origin legends state that her uncle taught her to tend and keep the fires. In some stories, she was careless with them and had to leave because of it and in others, she seduced her sister’s husband and the ensuing fight resulted in her fleeing for safety, finally finding it on Hawaii Island.

There is a lot of contention on exactly who the “original” siblings of Pele were. Some accounts include six children, another claims five brothers and eight sisters, some as many as thirteen of each sex. A combined list of three of the researchers can be found for free online, with the original scans of Martha Beckwith’s Hawaiian Mythology. For those interested, information can be found in the References section.

There are some references showing that Madame Pele is an “‘aumakua”, which is a deified ancestral spirit or guardian spirit that can be called upon for assistance. This is an overloaded term that encompasses not only literal ancestral (family) spirits, but also the Gods and Goddesses. Part of the reason for this is that the mythology claims that humans descend from these Deities, thus they are considered Family. Other texts, usually written by non-Hawaiians, have also included the land spirits in this category. In this text, the terms “land spirits” will be used for non-Deity ‘aumakua use. Land spirit will also be used for other types of natural spirits, such as air, earth, and water nature spirits, for simplicity. There are obligations that the family has to their ‘Aumakua, which are similar to honoring and offerings of other cultures. This paragraph mimics another argument, which is that she isn’t technically a Goddess, because there were only a few Gods and Goddesses, which means in their definition that she is a lesser Goddess at best. To me, she is a Goddess and will be referred to as such in this text.

What is clear to anyone that calls upon Madame Pele that she commands respect. From the lore, it is evident that she has not won all of her battles and was supposed to be the cause of the most prominent of them - her fleeing to the Hawaiian islands after seducing her sister’s husband (to be fair, some documents suggested this runs in the family).

Adherents of Pele place her in a gray area on the spectrum. She’s seen as incredibly loving and loyal to those who have genuine affection, reverence towards her. They also acknowledge that the mythology shows she’s jealous, covetous, and temperamental. The app we were using to get additional history during our drives talked about some of these stories and I couldn’t help wondering how many of these sides I would see. The fire that warms can be the flame that burns.

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A post was split to a new topic: Excitement

Initial Contact

After the activities of the day were completed and everyone else had turned in, I finally had the privacy to contact Madame Pele in the small rental house. The only ritual aid I had was my music, which I use to help me start to tune-in for a while before actively starting rituals. No incense or candles. Even if I had brought my lancets for blood offerings, I didn’t have a way to burn them without producing evidence or unwanted questions (and potentially the fire department).

I calmed myself and got into my ritual mindset, drifting into myself while lightly focusing on the goal of evoking and speaking with this Fire Goddess I knew little about. It was pretty clear that she wanted contact, but I wasn’t sure if this would make it easier or more difficult. I hadn’t been touched so brazenly in the past and it was causing some extra caution.

I called upon Belial to quickly verify that it had been Pele, doubting my senses, yet knowing it was her. He nodded and departed with a “Get to work”. It was better than being dressed-down for doubting.

My Invocation To Madame Pele

I banished the living room being used as my ritual area, the heavy rains outside preventing the use of the outdoors.

“Madame Pele, I ask you to come. Come into my ritual space. Please come and speak with me.”

“Madame Pele, come. I would speak with you.”

I could feel her drawing near the ritual space. I repeated the phrases a few more times, reaching out to her energy in the room, feeling her begin to form within the ritual area.

I felt that my apprehension from earlier was hindering the process. I closed my eyes, lightly focused on the goal, and crept further inside of myself, shutting off as much of my emotion and mental chatter as I could. While I don’t feel I was as successful as I would have liked, it didn’t matter. She stood before me.

I opened my eyes and could clearly see her with my third eye, standing near the middle of the ritual space. Most accounts of Madame Pele are of a Polynesian woman either very young, supple, and beautiful or very old and likely traveling with a dog. In some accounts, she even smokes when people offer her rides.

Before me stood an attractive, middle aged woman with shoulder-length hair. While I know that Deities can appear however they want or leave it up to the psyche of the evoker, it was clear that she was trying to alleviate some of the tension she had caused with her breath on my neck.

“Thank you for coming. I have some wine for you.” I motioned to the wine, which I had poured into a glass in preparation.

She nodded, “Thank you. We’ll start tomorrow. Please, leave the wine.” She then left.

Considering the tension from earlier and spending a fair amount of the rest of the time waiting to evoke her, I was both relieved and irritated at the brevity of the encounter. Part of me was also glad I hadn’t run through some materials for this level of interaction. Why not start tonight? The legends of her character were running through my mind as I thought of the encounter.

I banished the area, left the wine, and went to bed.

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A Task, Please?

The morning following the ritual, I did some quick research on Pele in an attempt to add more meaning to the conversations I expected to have today. Surely the encounter would last longer than a minute. In the same token, most of the next few days would involve being in and out of the car, with forays into parks and hikes, with little time left at the end of the day for ritual work. I was worried that driving all day would leave little mental focus for the evocation late in the evening.

I felt Abaddon’s presence in the room and opened myself up for communication while pretending to read on my device.

“Work with Madame Pele and learn about her Destructive current.” From here, I was given several subtasks that were personal, but had to do with harnessing this current for things in the past. Some of the procedures for these subtasks ended up being included later on in this grimoire for self-work.

Madame Pele rode with us for most of the day in one fashion or another. Conversations happened mainly in trickles, as I had to concentrate on the roadways, trails, and my family. What follows is a condensed version of the conversation over the next few days, with snippets thrown in that were copied down. At this point, I had no idea I would be working on a grimoire and no way of collecting the info privately.

“I don’t think anyone denies you’re a Fire and Volcano Goddess. Some tie you to other things, such as the lava, the magma, even the very acts of destruction themselves. Is there any clarification you can add to this?”

She gave an indication that there wasn’t much distinction between them, but didn’t say anything. Just a feeling.

“Madam, there are volcanoes all over the Earth. Do you have any sort of ‘dominion’ or authority over those areas, too, such as Iceland or Indonesia? Their magma comes from the same source, deep within the Earth.”

The impression I got was that I had asked a pointless question and felt like I got a stern look. I took that as a ‘No’. I was trying to establish some sort of boundary, maybe ascertain if there were other Gods or Goddesses for each. Maybe even establish whether some were facets of a singular Deity.

“The lore states that you’re considered to have come from Tahiti and that you sought refuge here, in Kilauea. Are you bound in some way to Hawaii Island? If not, why wasn’t this started on Oahu?”

I did see a flash of annoyance at this, but quite frankly, I wasn’t getting much in the way of answers with a lot of my questions. She gave me an impression that this was simply her home. When I asked about the supposed family disagreement that led to her residing here, she said nothing.

I was getting a lot of unanswered questions. Obviously, some of them were lead-ins to try to spur a conversation that would provide something useful. I had asked a lot of questions to try to get some sort of dialogue going, most of which weren’t worth remembering or asking. Some of the questions, such as “Madame Pele, could you please give me a hint at what I should be doing or asking while I am here on the Big Island with you?” or “Madame, I could really use some sort of direction to make sure I can try to complete these unknown tasks with the very short amount of time I have here on the island” would get an acknowledgment, but not a substantial reply.

I sat there at the restaurant for dinner in the fairly sleepy town of Volcano, Hawaii, having spent all day with Madame Pele as a companion, feeling as if I hadn’t really gotten anywhere. Five days and a wake up is not enough time to accomplish much of anything when the Madame isn’t tasking. Or really talking.

Admittedly, I couldn’t feel her there at dinner, which was a relief in a way. Yet, I also felt like it was a lost opportunity. I had scoured my brain (and the Internet, when available) to come up with questions to enhance the conversation and elicit what she was wanting to begin with. If she wanted some company, there are nine million visitors to Hawaii every year. Some of those continue to Hawaii Island. And a percentage of those should also be magically or mystically inclined. That isn’t even counting the locals that attempt to honor her in their own way.

While I trusted that Belial and Abaddon weren’t sending me on a completely useless pursuit, this wasn’t an effective use of my time. I have better ways of spending my attention and energy than flattering a Goddess that didn’t seem to want to say anything. I called out to Belial and Abaddon and asked if there was something I should’ve done or could do to change the situation. I got their attention, but silence. Very well.

At the end of the day, when everyone else had finally gone to bed, I once again evoked Madame Pele.

“Madame Pele, thank you for coming.”

The impression I got was a complicated combination of realizing I wasn’t exactly happy with her, of recognizing that I didn’t know what was going on, and her sympathy, while she also didn’t feel like any explanation was owed.

I don’t mind some deference to the Gods and Goddesses, as sort of respect for their position and what it may have taken to get there. I don’t mind a lesser, simpler explanation that suggests that there are things they shouldn’t spoil. I don’t mind being told I need to wait or be patient for something else to happen, so that it enables something that I need to learn – even if I don’t know what that is. But this takes communication in something other than silence.

“Madame Pele, I understand there are some tasks I’m supposed to do and I’ve been told to seek direction from you. I’ve been here for a few days now. I’m concerned with my remaining time.” I could feel a little anger in her. Almost like how a chameleon starts to change in one spot and it spreads to the rest of the area.

I don’t like pissing people off. I certainly don’t like pissing Goddesses or Gods off. People have to sleep. Goddesses and Gods don’t. I’d been told for a little while that I needed to start asserting my own inner Divinity, to exert my will in the face of Gods and Goddesses for a little while. This seemed like as good a time as any.

“Madame, I’ve tried to interact with you. I’ve tried asking questions from myth or lore to enable a useful conversation. You’ve ignored or gave me answers that you knew weren’t worth much. You haven’t shown me the respect you should have.”

“You approached me, Madame Pele. You could’ve approached me on Oahu, yet you didn’t. Instead, the choice was made to keep part of my mind occupied while I was on vacation with my family. This is your backyard, but this is MY Life.”

“You are welcome to travel with us as we continue our vacation here. If you want interaction, you will start giving it in return.”

I closed the ritual, banished the area, and went to bed…with reservations.

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An Appreciation

As Day Three started, I woke up thinking about the evocation the night before. I couldn’t feel Pele, Belial, or Abaddon. This had me doubting myself a little, but I resolved that I was following the lessons to be learned. Still, things felt a little off as we climbed into the car and I couldn’t feel anything but local spirits around.

Surrounded by my family, it was a lonely drive to Volcanoes National Park. They were having a great time, but my head was on the evocation the night before. I could reach out and feel the landscape, feel the life everywhere in this landscape teeming with nature. Yet, I couldn’t feel those larger forces I’d become accustomed to – those demonized Deities I could simply reach out for and feel at this point.

After driving for a while, we got out for the Iridescent Fissure and Ice Cream Cone Walk hike. One thing about living on Oahu for over a year prior to going to the Big Island was that you appreciate, but aren’t amazed by, some of the same sights you’d see on Oahu. When we set off onto the dirt trail leading to the hike, I figured it wouldn’t be too different than things we’d seen back home. I clearly hadn’t looked at pictures of the hike.

“Holy Hell, Madame Pele…” I whispered as we emerged onto a barren landscape that looked more like a lunar landscape than the tropical paradise one expects from Hawaii. The flaky, dry ground was dotted with different types of formations, each unique in it’s design, that had been created in the 1969 eruption. “Well done”.

“I’m glad you like it.” I heard her say and hadn’t realized she was right beside me. She was clearly pleased that I was so taken aback. She had also noticeably softened her demeanor, for which I was thankful. It was at this point that our interactions started to change, becoming more familiar, more conversational, and answers started coming from even mundane questions. I did engage her based on her myths and legends, while waiting for some indication that they weren’t important.

“Is there any particular reason why this area was chosen for this eruption? Did it have some significance that I’m not aware of?” She shrugged and continued looking out over the landscape.

“Sometimes, I guess you just have to clear off the table.”, I remarked. She was amused.

They Speak At Her

As the week wore on there was a question I had wanted to ask, but hadn’t and it was something that had bothered me since first meeting Madame Pele.

“Madame, you’re surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people on this island alone that have a Polynesian ethnicity. Why were you so concerned with my attention when I first arrived? Don’t they worship you or at least give offerings?”

“They do. Some do regularly. Some only on holidays. The difference is that most speak at me. You speak with me.”

This had a profound effect on how I viewed her from then on. It has since also caused me to reflect on my relationships with other Deities. The manner in which she said this indicated a sense of longing for another time when she was regularly worshiped by those that consider her part of their family. I acknowledge to myself that this could simply be me attributing humanistic behaviors to a Goddess, but the way this message was conveyed was that there was a time when she was openly, actively worshiped by a much, much larger group of people than she is today.

“They come to me in awe, amazement, and fear, but rarely with love or devotion. Especially when they have left this island. Tell those interested to speak with me, not at me.”

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The Task Is Finally Given

Due to the rapidly rising coronavirus, we had to cut our vacation short. I was sad to leave the Big Island, especially the volcanic craters. I had managed to give a blood offering to Madame Pele the day before, using a picked up piece of volcanic stone to cut myself, putting it on the rock, and tossing it into a steam vent. She gratefully accepted the offering.

I could feel her in the room as I packed up the remaining items I wouldn’t need and as I finished up, I could tell she wanted to talk.

“I want you to do something for me.”

This struck me as odd. What could she genuinely want from me? I nodded.

“You haven’t been given any tasks this week. There is only one task. You will make a grimoire for me.”

“If that is what you’re wanting, then I will do my best to see it through. Forgive me, but I find it hard to believe that there isn’t one already in existence. Anybody that comes to Hawaii knows who you are and they get ten million visitors a year. How can there not be one already created?”

“There are private grimoires that will likely never be public. I want yours to be available to those that wish to call upon me.”

This was a large task. While she and I had discussed a few things in relation to magick, there was nothing discussed about producing a grimoire for her. “I don’t understand. We could’ve talked about this over the past week. I could’ve taken notes, started preparing rituals. I’m exceptionally thankful and honored to have spent my time with you, but I don’t understand why some local person on any one of the islands couldn’t have done this.”

She didn’t say anything at first. I felt Belial and Abaddon enter the area and realized that this had been the plan from the beginning. I quickly checked to make sure my family was still out of earshot.

“Why wasn’t I just told this from the beginning? It would’ve saved some time. I’ve been waiting and asking for tasks all week.” It was met with silence.

Madame Pele stepped in front of my view. “Will you do it?”

“It will take about a year.” Belial said from behind her. Abaddon remained silent.

I nodded, zipped my suitcase, and left the room.

The Work Begins

Upon returning from the Big Island, I started working with Pele on the substance of the grimoire. I was told to set it aside twice to work through other books over the span of about a year, before being told to pick it back up. It had been hanging over my head and I felt it disrespectful to keep putting it aside. My interactions with Pele continued, just not the grimoire work.

It is important to understand that as Madame Pele is gray and neither entirely good or bad, some of the beneficial rituals could also be used for harm, if one was interested, with few modifications needed. I am not here to moralize or debate what anyone else considers right or wrong. We’re big enough girls and boys to make our own decisions and whatever consequences may or may not be caused from those decisions. I have done every ritual in this book. Most several times. Follow your own compass.
The book will start off with a baseline set of abilities and workings to help ensure that someone picking this up will be able to complete many of the rituals in it that they’re interested in. It is expected that the practitioner will have some experience with meditation, be able to feel energy and/or visualize it in the absence of feeling it. You don’t have to be really experienced to work through this book. It will be easier if you are, though.
There are also sections for Hi’iaka and Kamohoalii, who came to speak with me at different times. Their sections are smaller than Pele’s, but some of their teachings were folded into the beginning section, when more appropriate to do so (the structuring exercise, for example, came from Hi’iaka).
First, she asked for a Dedication to learning from her.

A Dedication To Pele

This dedication is a way to forge a link between the magician and Madame Pele. It’s a formal request to her to ask for her instruction. It isn’t meant to be an exclusive agreement where one is dedicated solely to Pele. It is more of a verbal promise to open oneself up to her and request her knowledge and, if needed, intervention in their lives. Feel free to edit it to your satisfaction, that it may meet your needs. Be sure to have a means of communication set up before starting the ritual, if your inner senses aren’t developed enough for communication. Prepare any offerings and have them nearby.

  1. Calm your mind and get into a quiet state to prepare for the ritual.
  2. Banish the area using your preferred method.
  3. Call upon Madam Pele, to invite her into your ritual space.
    4.When you sense that she has come and is standing by, begin the dedication text.
    “Madame Pele,
    Goddess of Destruction,
    Destroyer through Fire,
    Creator through Lava.
    I, _______, call upon you.
    I ask your Fire to burn away my impurities.
    I ask your Lava, your Molten Earth, to melt away my inner and external obstacles.
    I ask your Spirit to ignite and energize mine.
    I ask you to take me on as a (student/disciple/devotee),
    to learn the ways of Destruction and Creation.

(If there are offerings)
“Please accept these offerings
(of blood/smoke/earth/air/fire),
given freely.”

  • If you have a means of communication, use that to verify that she has accepted your dedication to her.
  • If you do not have a means of communication, ask her for a sign within a stated amount of time, such as a week.
    “Would you please show me a sign of your acceptance of this dedication within the next seven days?”
    • If you feel she has accepted -
      “Thank you for your acceptance, Madame Pele.”
  1. Close the ritual.
    “Madame Pele, I thank you for coming. Please leave at your discretion.”
    "It is done.”
    Banish the area, clean up, and leave the space.

Edit - the Summary for this got misplaced in my document. Please see the rest of it Here

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Pele’s Elemental Meditation

When I learned Pele’s Ward (given later in this grimoire), I did so as a test from Pele and Abaddon. Later, when trying to think of how to word and give examples for practicing this, I admittedly struggled. I struggled with putting my thoughts into the right words and trying to explain something like that in a usable way for others was getting the better of me. The answer came from Pele when she asked me to create an elemental meditation and gave me the outline for it. I then realized that this meditation was the precursor for explaining the ward mechanism.

In essence, the meditation consists of three parts : Connecting with your Self, connecting with the elemental energy type, and drawing it into oneself for use. Whether for meditation, inner work, grounding, or energy balancing, this meditation is a way of using the natural elements to aid yourself and your workings that can be incorporated into most practices without issue. I would encourage you to ground the excess energy raised, especially if only doing it for one or two types, as this may cause an imbalance.

The Fire and Earth Meditation

Her description for this was “I want you to create a meditation where people connect to the Earth, deep down inside (of it) to the magma, and pull it into themselves.” I then saw similar examples for Water, Wind, and Nature that harness the same mechanism. Instead of relying only on the energy the practitioner has available, the energy is pulled in raw form from Nature and the practitioner’s energy supplements this.

The description left a few things out that need to be addressed. One is that how you get into your meditative state is up to you. I used ritual music and it’s not uncommon that I start this music well in advance of my ritual - sometimes an hour or more before.

Another item is that this calls on one’s inner Divine spark. This doesn’t have religious meaning behind it. Consider it the Higher Soul, Divine Spark, God Form, however you want to look at it. The important part is that the practitioner connects with it to enhance their working, but leveraging the part of you that connects with the All. If this is conflicting to you, then leave that part out. Use what’s useful for you and revisit the rest another time.

Finally - the Mind directs, the Will sees it through. If you’re struggling with some part of any of these rituals, then let your Mind direct what is to happen and step aside to let your Will carry it out for you. This can help make some of the more complicated parts of workings be carried out much more smoothly than trying to work out the exact details and mechanisms mentally. Let the mind direct the result and let the Will make it happen however it does it. If it needs adjusted, say to allow for friendly spirits, set that intent, direct it with the Mind and let the Will do the work to see it through.

The Meditation:

Center yourself and focus on your breath as you meditate and calm yourself.

When you’ve calmed your waking mind, delve inside oneself and focus on your Divine Spark. Connect with it, become “one” with it.

With the “authority” of that spark, begin sinking into the Earth. Continue sinking, deeper towards the center of the Earth itself, until you come to the molten river of magma below, the mixing of Earth and Fire.

Using your authority, pull the energy up into yourself, filling yourself as much as is comfortable for you. Feel its warming and grounding energy mix with your own. If you feel there are inner obstacles, let the Fire burn them away. Where the Fire is too hot, let the Earth tamp it down. Let it energize and refresh you.

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Thank you for this.

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I still remember feeling profoundly sad for her, yet, realizing that this could just be me overlaying the human experience onto the situation.

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A Sensitivity Exercise

Hi’iaka provided this one and the deceptively simple exercise will pay off later in a lot of different ways - from reducing material consumption to connecting to targets without destroying a photo/taglock. I would have put it in her section, but felt it needed to be given earlier on, for those wanting to work on this exercise to improve themselves before tackling the larger workings presented. Here was the conversation.

H: “Take a plant. Feel it’s spirit. Now replicate the spirit in energy and see that (replication) link itself to the plant (on its own)”

M: “I’ve done similar things with parasites to question them. What’s to be gained?”

H: “If you practice this and do it with ever-expanding life forms (and objects), you can recreate a place to have more of an effect there” (The example I saw in my head was of effecting a place, such as casting a ward over a remote location)

M: “That’s interesting. (I then got a mental impression of how a photograph would provide a similar means, if one recreated it energetically in a physical or astral space, based on the signature of each item)”.

H: “That (the final thought) is a bit much for now. The next step would be to use a picture of hawthorn or mandrake root to recreate the energy obtained when using them in ritual (to use the energy in place of consuming the item)”

M: (I then saw an impression that a servitor consisting of the energy of the item could be used for more expensive and rarer items. Or living plants and animals you don’t want to damage.). “That has serious potential.”

H: “And it stems from a simple exercise. Do not forget that.”

The Initial Exercise

Find a plant.

Create a psi-ball or similar collection of energy to form into your item (here, it’s a plant).

Direct the energy with your mind and let your Will recreate the item. Keep it in your mind that it will connect energetically when it resembles the item closely enough. I’ve done it without the explicit attempt to connect to the base item and nothing happens, so be sure to put the intent at the beginning to connect to the base object.

Keep practicing this with different items until you become more comfortable with the technique. Keep in mind that this will be a very light connection, not a binding or similar. Its purpose is to connect to a target energetically, not thoroughly enough to attempt to directly control their thoughts or actions. It could be deepened, but isn’t necessary.

How closely does it have to resemble the object? Just until it connects to it. Anything after that is a bonus.

What if I can’t visualize the whole object (such as a tall tree with many branches)? Pick one part of it and energetically recreate that. You will be able to connect to the whole tree that way. I tested this on a picture on my phone where a friend had a knee exposed.

Why not just use a photograph or a taglock? The purpose isn’t to do away with those things, but to have other options. All of those options are for energetically linking to our targets. We may have taglocks or mementos that we don’t wish to destroy or alter.

What else is it useful for? It’s a useful exercise for forming our goals into an energetic signature to be used in ritual when words don’t quite convey what we want or they just don’t come out quite right. I can visualize and imprint the desire to sail to specific places and feel certain ways more easily than I can describe that on paper.

It’s also a good way of connecting with a Deity/Entity that has no sigil, enn, or (public, usable) chant. It allows one to connect to the entity and (with the same mechanism), transfer that connection to an idol or similar object. Once the connection has been established, the ritual/altar item can then be used. The connection would be strengthened as it is used for that entity. For people that are leery of respectful evocation, this is another route to connect an object/idol/icon to a spirit for similar effect.

Another way this is useful is for psychopomp purposes. I have a tendency to sever the connection of roadkill animals to set them free. I can do this by feeling the spirit link in the bones, evoking it, and severing it’s connection right there on the spot or I can remember it, create the link, and do it this way from my ritual space, without having to stop traffic or advertise to the neighborhood that I’m doing something they wouldn’t understand. I prefer my neighborhood anonymity, concerning my practices.

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(I think this got put in the wrong place from not paying attention to where the cursor was when typing in the above. This should have gone Here )

Summary for the Evocation to Pele

If you use preparatory work for evocations, please consider using that.
Note - Artwork, Photos, mythological articles, documentaries can help one become attuned to the vibration of Madame Pele in the absence of an enn and sigil.

  1. Banish the ritual area using your preferred banishing method.

  2. Call for Madame Pele. Invite her into your ritual space. Repeat as desired/needed.

  3. When you feel she has arrived, have a means of communication ready to use.

  • If your clairaudience or clairsentience skills are still being worked on, consider substituting for methods using tarot and pendulums.
  1. It is advisable that there be some sort of offering, even if humble.
  • Historical offerings to Pele

    • People - mainly enemy captives
    • Food – local, raw or cooked.
    • Money – Both coin and any other form of valued currency.
    • Flowers – typically local.
  • Modern Equivalents
    While we discussed some of the history and myth surrounding Madame Pele, modern sightings/experiences indicate she isn’t hindered by modern progress.

    • Wine
      I mainly used reds, but she indicated she didn’t have a preference.
    • Incense
      She’s appreciated resin and cone incense and, for longer sessions, appreciates being able to choose
    • Artistic gifts (simple is good, again, good, honest intentions)
    • Scarves in fiery colors of red, yellow, and orange
  1. Have a reason ready for wanting to work with her.
    This is more to help break the ice and to allow for a transition in the back-and-forth flow of the conversation. She should already know this. If she came to you, she likely has tasks of her own in mind.
  2. Close the ritual and banish the area. Write down your experiences, if keeping a magical journal (this is highly encouraged).
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Pele’s Area Clearing

There are two primary rituals for this, both are energetic. The intent is simply to level out the energy by flooding it with energy of your choosing. We aren’t calling on Pele to do it for us, although that is a possibility. Instead, we’re going to do the Fire and Earth Meditation to build up the energy inside of us and push it outwards over the ritual space.

  1. Begin with the Fire and Earth Meditation.
  • Instead of adding in the other elements, let the Fire and Earth energies build inside of you by themselves. Continue building the energy until it feels like you’re “full”.
  1. Send the energy outwards, flooding the ritual space, claiming it as “yours”, and burning everything in its path you haven’t set an exclusion for (exclusion using intent).

  2. Let it burn until you feel it has removed all of the unwanted energy types in the area.

  • If desired, balance the other elements inside oneself.

This could be done to create a circle around the practitioner, if desired. I don’t typically use them, unless they are necessary for the system I’m using. I do cleanse and claim my space. It’s just a rectangular area, instead of a circle.

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Pele’s Protection Ward

Pele is a powerful protector in her own right and it’s only natural to want to tap into that for a protective ward that taps into her fiery Destructive current. At first, I dug down into the Earth, attempting to tap into the raw current itself. I searched for it, but didn’t find the powerfully flowing (river) current I was expecting. Instead, it seemed almost sluggish and felt as if it was far away. I had asked Madame Pele about this in several different ways during the week I had with her, but she didn’t really answer the question (she clearly knew the answer, though).

Once I was back on Oahu, it was time to get back to work. I invited both Abaddon and Pele into my space to attempt to bridge this gap in knowledge.

“You failed.”, Abaddon said as a way of greeting me.

“I may again, if the problems are hard enough.”, I replied. It would be foolish to try to smooth it over. “I went in search of a river of energy, but found a sort of trickle, more like sludge. I don’t think I would be sent on a hunt for something that didn’t exist. Yet, that trickle I found didn’t feel strong enough to be useful to me and definitely wasn’t the solution.”.

“Shall I find you an easier problem?”

“Will I not still have to learn this lesson? Could I get more direction? A vague mention of a Destructive Current with no additional information hasn’t worked very well.”

Instead, I got a trial by Fire.

Abaddon waved his hand and I could feel some sort of slow-moving force full of…things…coming to test my defenses. I looked at both of them for some sort of clues or hints. They knew that I hadn’t been able to tap into the current I was expecting. They looked on in silence for a few minutes while I kept track of this threat creeping towards me.

“What’s under your feet?”, Pele asked. There was some amusement present in her voice.

The wave of things was only a few minutes away.

It finally came to me. There, very deep down, was molten earth. Now, how to tap into it in time?

It was at this point that I reached down into both myself and the Earth, connecting a raw, primal part of me to it, and, using this primal core, pulled the essence of the molten Earth up and into a dome. My space was protected. Abaddon called them off.

There were some key points that happened in that learning experience. They are worth considering and although they may not be lessons that everyone needs to learn, they may help others increase their craft. It should be noted that the point of the trial wasn’t to call to other Deities for help or some sort of “deliverance”. This had to come from me and what I could do about it.

The first is that simple wardings, although powerful enough for everyday use, wouldn’t have been enough. Their energy would’ve been depleted by successive waves and I wouldn’t have been able to keep it up against waves of (presumed) legions that went on for as far as I could see (mentally). Something greater was needed.

The second was that I had to feel under threat to take it seriously. I came to them knowing I had “failed” the tasks of tapping into the Destructive undercurrent. It was looking for that current that helped me remember to look down into the different parts of the Earth for a specific energy type. Probing and testing the currents I found helped me pull from the much greater current I felt from the molten lake inside the earth.

The third point was that I had to pull from a raw, external source of power to magnify what I could already do. Anyone that’s done energy work, especially tool-less energy workings, learns to clear out the energy of a space. Not just to clear away any unwanted energy remnants, but also for protective measures. You learn to do it or the power you start displaying, beaconing, as you do your workings can attract unwanted attention from lesser spirits (“ankle biters”). You get complacent when you repel lesser entities successfully enough that you rarely have to manually remove anything. The ego decides that it can handle most things with simpler energy workings without having to step up defensive abilities. Thus, they designed the exercise to force me to use what I knew, but that would also force me to use something in addition to myself. Again, this wasn’t an exercise in calling upon other Deities for safety.

The final point of interest was that I couldn’t just “wish” the fiery current to come up and into my space. I had to reach inside of myself, draw on that divine spark deep inside all of us, and use the authority from that divinity to pull it up and shape it into a protective sphere. The mind guided the energy, but that deep part of my soul is what brought it forth - pure, raw will acting with authority. I had been told by other Deities I work with that I needed to learn to tap into that part of myself not long before this happened. The truth was, I had dabbled with it, but hadn’t really had a good reason for reaching that far down and actually grabbing hold of it. Once it was done, it changed how I was going to do many of my rituals from then on.

That one trial, less than ten minutes long, changed how I practiced. I’ve developed the following exercise/ritual to help others achieve the same thing - before you need it. Please keep in mind the points I stated above and feel free to change it as is best for your practice. I want to also remind you that I had unknowingly practiced small parts of this separately prior to needing to put it together “on the fly”.

Prior to the Next Exercise -

I would encourage you to use a banishing ritual. I would also encourage you to be able to sense the energy in your environment. If you cannot feel the energy of your environment, it is a skill that is absolutely necessary for your future magical endeavors. Will this work without being able to do this? It could. It will grow in power with your ability to feel and manipulate energy, both inside of yourself and your environment. You need to be able to sink inside of yourself until you find and recognize that core part of your soul that only belongs to you. This part of yourself is the main driver of this ritual. If you cannot feel it at this point, I would encourage you to strive to find it (by going within) and using the Fire and Earth Meditation to connect with it more readily.

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Erecting the Fiery Dome of Pele

Meditate in your chosen manner until you feel you have reached your magical state.

If you choose to cast a circle or do an area banishment, perform this.

Go down inside of yourself, dig deeply, dig by instinct, until you find the source of you - your power. Call upon this part of yourself. You need to grab hold of it. Take ownership and once you’ve done so, this part will respond to your thoughts and will, as if it’s waiting to make your Will reality.

Reach down into the Earth, to the core, where the pressure and heat have liquified the solid elements of the Earth itself. Feel the heat of it and notice the liquidity of it’s movements, even when slow.

From that inner part of yourself, connect it to that molten center, that lava undercurrent that is at the center of the Earth. Using your soul (not your mind), call that molten Earth upwards, through the layers, until it breaks the surface of the area where you stand.

Your mind will direct and form this Fiery essence into a protective shield that will surround the area you choose. Oversee this formation until it meets your requirements for the shape and area you wish to cover. The Mind directs, the Will sees it through.

If you wish to give additional instructions at this point in time, such as it being reactionary or to allow certain types of entities or energy through, do so at this time.

At this point, you have a choice. You can choose to leave your shield reactionary (which requires it to be flexible, like lava or as a strictly static form of protection, which involves cooling the lava to form a hard shell. This is a choice that must be made, but not one that cannot be changed. Add enough lava and older lava gets melted the same as anything else. It’s not a zero-sum game in this case, if it’s your energy and ward that you’d like to replenish and “re-train”.

Why would one want to leave a hard shell, as opposed to a reactionary shell? If there is a static place where you don’t go to often, but want to protect (say, a ritual site that gets used once a month), then a static protection method may be more appropriate. If this were a home or similar location, it may be better to have a reactionary shell in place that you’re willing to feed energy into as needed. One could monitor the energy levels and top-off as needed and/or re-instruct as needed.

This is still your power. It is being enhanced by an external source. The difference between this and other types of temporary power being harnessed is that the molten core of the Earth will not cease within our lifetimes. We’re not restricted to capturing the energy of a singular event of a thunderstorm and using that as our main source or energy. Where I currently live, I could harness both the power of Lava, Wind, and Waves. I do encourage you to harness what you can to enhance your workings. This also allows you, if you are able to move to other areas, to learn to work with other types of raw, primitive power.

While this is primarily a way for individuals to work on and pull from their own power, there isn’t a hard rule that it must only be used that way, especially in a pinch. There should be a Deity or Land/Air Spirit(s) that preside over local areas of power. Could I have petitioned Madame Pele (if not in a lesson) or local land spirits that are in tune with or protect the molten Earth power I called forth? Of course! It’s something to think about while growing your powers.

If you go down the route of local elemental spirits, I would suggest culturing a relationship with these entities, to allow for relationships and assistance that isn’t “forced”. Most of us wouldn’t put forth optimal effort in something we didn’t want to do. Why would they? I recommend cultivating a relationship based upon respect between those involved. If nothing else, remember, you must sleep, but they (arguably) do not.

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Warming Spell

(this spell can be used for love, but will be presented for friendship with small additions for love, as the target audience is more right-hand-path and presentation matters)
This spell was given to me by Pele when I was going through a rough time with a friend. I was in Hawaii and she was in the northern Midwest, having a lot of troubles in her general life, with her family, and from within. There was a lot of doubt about what Life had in store for her and some flip-flopping in her magical life, which was as chaotic as her home life was. It was rough to see and this ended up with things blowing up at home and she was cutting off most communication with others outside of her household to try to simplify her life and appease those at home. I remember wishing there was a way I could contact her to let her know I was thinking of her and send her warm wishes. Pele came to me with this spell.

The spell itself is simple and it is for a warming or thawing of relationships, rather than the simple brute force of a Love spell. It could certainly be applied that way, but is not presented that way. It is a simple candle spell at heart, with a petition to Pele built in. It is not uncommon for Pele to come and personally “bless” the candle, adding her energy to yours. One would have to be sensitive to energy to notice, of course.

It’s important to add your energy into it as a sign of good faith to her. We’re putting our energy into it and asking Pele to add to it and direct the combination towards the recipient. I’ve used this warming ritual for the above friend, but several others too. One needed an emotional boost and was having a rough time emotionally and mentally with her practice and place in life. The name in the volcano was just hers. With another, a male suitor that clearly liked another friend needed a little more confidence to get over the courage hurdle to ask my friend out. Just a little push was needed and this helped my friend to accept that it was done genuinely, rather than grossly imposing the will of others to get what she wanted. This may have backfired if too much was applied.

Carve or write the name of the individual into the candle. Dress it with blood or sexual fluids, if desired.

On a piece of paper, draw a small circle large enough for their name and any identifying information you want to add, such as birthdate, city, username, etc… Draw the second individual’s name and draw a line to connect them.

Draw a volcano with this circle as its center. Draw a larger circle around the volcano.

Hold the candle in both hands and fill the candle with energy - yours, the emotion, the gentle longing, the warmth at thinking of them, the touch of their skin (whether known or imagined). For emotional needs, visualize these being resolved in the target until the desired end state shines through.

Visualize a flame with your names inside the candle and see if sparking, before starting to burn gently with your combined feelings.

“Madame Pele, please go to {target} and kindle the warmth in their heart. Let them know my fire burns for them. Heat and nurture their flame, from spark to glowing ember. Please bless this candle with your energy and warmth, mixing it with mine. Kindly direct this energy towards them as you feel is best.” (Adjust the wording as needed, but the intent is to petition Pele to assist the working).

Light the candle.

As the candle burns, slowly drip wax onto the inner circle bearing their name. Next, fill the outer circle with the wax. Finally, fill the volcano with drippings from the candle. Watch over the flame until the candle is out. When the candle has finally flickered out, burn the waxed paper to release the spell.

Some thoughts - why drip the candle wax onto the volcano? I wondered about this. Aren’t things like that normally held onto until it comes to fruition? It came to me when I considered not burning it and holding onto it. It actually has to do with dripping the wax onto the volcano. More intent is being put into the process and (already charged) candle when one is trying to drip the wax into the specified area. You’re reminded of the reason for being there in an “active” way, still concentrating on the working as a whole, and guiding more attention/mental energy towards the goal. It made sense at that point.

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Local Spirit Petitioning

If you think you may want to work with local Elemental spirits, it is worthwhile to consider giving an offering or two to them on occasion. I didn’t start doing this practice until I came to Hawaii, where a sort of belief in land/air spirits was part of the original culture. I had felt them in other places, but hadn’t really paid much attention to them. There wasn’t exactly an abundance of unpaved land in the areas I’d lived in as an adult, so I hadn’t really considered it.

Hawaii is a little different place. There are still “wild” places where the natural environment is still allowed to grow. Some locations had historical significance, some had old religious significance, some simply couldn’t be built on for one reason or another. Regardless of why, anyone with the ability to sense spirits will find local spirits in most of the areas where there is a little wild left growing (the rest of time, you’re paying attention to traffic). I was sensing these spirits in the small scrub area behind my home that led me to include them in my Ancestor Worship/Thanks ritual that I hold once or twice a month.

I started this partially as a way of humbling myself before the land I was a guest in. It seemed like an honorable thing to do. I could feel them. They could feel me. They were here first. Seems simple, but if I was already going to give offerings to my ancestors and the entities I work with, why not just invite the local spirits? I didn’t think they were going to crash the party or anything.

They seemed to appreciate the gesture, once I had started including them. This went on for months. Honest gifts with honest intentions. I wasn’t giving it with the expectation of getting anything. It was unexpected when a few of them stepped forward to help take care of a neighbor that is less than…respectful…to both people and the land. In two days, several behaviors had changed that had been going on long before I moved to this neighborhood in 2018. In a week, a few more mysteriously changed and their pets no longer wanted to come near me. Unexpected success. And it mainly cost me some tea, an apple, and genuine thankfulness.

While these local spirits are generally considered to exist in the same location, that doesn’t mean they are stuck there. In my own practice, some local spirits went forth towards a target on another continent. They indicated it wasn’t a problem. I’ve had local spirits from Kauai visit me on Oahu, which seems to suggest that distance, or being bound to a single location, isn’t an issue.

Offering to the Local Spirits

As said above, I typically give offerings not just to the local Spirits, but also to the other entities I work with and my ancestral spirits. These mainly consist of several types of herbal teas, maybe some sort of alcohol, fruit, and, sometimes, grains. I don’t give blood to local spirits, as my connection to them is normally not as strong as my connection to, say, Pele, Belial, or Abaddon. It seems a little over-the-top for this type of ritual and they haven’t indicated that they value it in our interactions.

This should be done outdoors, if possible, but there’s nothing saying it can’t happen on a balcony in an apartment building or inside your home, in a pinch. Since I practice privately, I typically place my food offerings in shrubs or bushes when the ceremony is done and a few hours have passed (if it’s still there). The spirits care more about the offering being made, than it being presented “properly”.

Simple is usually better. This is a simple practice and a more elaborate version isn’t necessarily better. Go with what you care to do and as your practice or your relationship with these spirits grows, you can always add more.

I prepare several cups of tea, of different varieties (or one, if I’m out of the others), in their own glasses. If I’m offering beer or wine, I put a portion of that in a glass.

With incense, I typically use cones for shorter sessions and a charcoal disc with resin for longer ones. A longer session usually means I want to speak with one or more guests there about specific problems. I sometimes use cedar sawdust made using files and cedar wood as an additional incense with the discs, if one of my guests says they’d like it. Pretty easy to make in advance.

The first thing I do is to clean the area as best I can. Since it’s outdoors and there’s typically a breeze, this usually just means picking up litter that has blown into the backyard. The premise is that the spirits will appreciate your tidying up the area they “live” in. It’s also a good signal to yourself that the practice will begin soon. I’m using the term practice, because in simpler form, that’s all it is.

In fact, all you’d have to do is to speak to the land spirits, tell them these offerings are for them to enjoy, leave the offerings, and walk back inside. But, if time is an issue, this is better than nothing. You can always invite them into your space and communicate with them later, if you would choose to. With specific ones I have relationships with, they can come and go as they please in my space. They usually don’t come around unless we have business.

My current methods are a combination of the above practice and more of an evocation. I combine the practice of Ancestor Worship with that of thanking the various types of entities I work with, from demons to local land spirits. Sometimes, angels show up, too. I don’t explicitly summon these spirits, but the stages I go through are similar to that if I were evoking.

Ready the offerings that are going to be given. This includes any drinks, food, or other offerings, such as blood offerings.

Clean up the area to be used, mainly removing litter and other debris. I will light my incense at this point.

Light any candles you plan on using. I typically use a white, red, or black one for this out of personal preference. I get into a ritual trance at this point, to help strengthen my senses prior to interacting with guests.

Banish the area to be used.

Mentally call out that the practice will begin. Typically, before I’m done, the guests have arrived, if they didn’t arrive immediately after the banishing.

Thank the guests for coming.

Describe what offerings you have for them and state that they are for their enjoyment. Since vocalization in different forms is seen as a sort of power on it’s own, I state what the offerings are and that they’re for them as a sort of way to transfer the ownership of the item to them. I also let them know I will dispose of the remaining items after a certain amount of time (typically the next day, if outside).

I may thank individual entities for specific things, but this is rare (ironically). I typically do a singular ritual of thanks for them, when this occurs, even if I “paid” them during the ritual.

If there are conversations that need to happen, I do this here if it isn’t “intrusive” to the rest of the group. I was doing a working on a particularly bad example of a human and asking the advice from several of my guests. Some of my Ancestors offered some other advice that was helpful and got involved themselves. I started doing this for noteworthy topics from then on. It was at one of these events where one of the land spirits offered to help with a neighbor’s animals.

When the practice is over and the given time has elapsed, I dispose of the offerings. The food is typically gone. The liquids get “returned to the Earth”. Ashes from incense or burnt offerings get “returned to the Earth”. If I couldn’t do this, I would respectfully dispose of them in whatever way made the most sense. The important part was respectfully giving an offering that they may enjoy. Not in how I got rid of the remains of it.

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The Unihipili

The Unihipili is a ritual that was published in the late 1800’s and read aloud to the Hawaiian Historical Society in 1892 and is listed in the References section as the “The Lesser Hawaiian Gods”. The word itself means the leg and arm bones of a person and reflects a ceremony held for family members. Originally, I was not going to include this ritual in this grimoire, as I was determined to stay away from published materials that may be seen as historical religious practices. In ritual one evening in June of 2020, Madame Pele asked me to include it.

I was hesitant, because it has nothing to do with her, specifically. She felt that the practice, as given, could hold value to those wanting to work with deceased entities of different sorts. The original rite details the binding of a deceased person. Madame Pele asked that the original be given and a more modern equivalent, using animal bones as a viable option, that a person wanting to work with deceased animal spirits, instead of binding deceased humans, could also be given something of value to start with. Please note that they use translated terms for the Keeper of the spirit. I will be using the term magician.

There are some other details that should be brought up that are not in the ritual itself. This is listed as a “familiar” spirit, whose scope is simply doing the magician’s wishes. What those wishes are or their scope is not stated. This is like not listed with limitations because it was a human spirit that was being bound, rather than an animal. It may have been assumed that the level of intelligence was at least child-like to begin with. As this was a spirit that was kept around for the lifetime of the magician, it could also be assumed that the intelligence would grow and not be limited to that originally possessed at the time of death.

Another interesting detail was that the body of the deceased “child or the near relative or intimate friend” was not to be buried immediately after death, but would be “secreted” in the living space of the magician. The body is stripped of everything down to the bones. The bones and hair are gathered together “into a bundle”. It doesn’t state that these are deposited into any sort of container or cloth item to keep them together.

Note - There was no mention of using the bodies of strangers, but this could be a cultural disconnect, as most of the Hawaiians consider each other some form of Family. It continues today, with older women calling themselves “Auntie” and older men “Uncle”, with local variations of the same principle.

There are obligations that the magician has to the spirit, some of which are in the footnotes, others in the body of the document (and ritual) itself. This magician, the keeper of the bones, is also thought of as a sort of guardian or care-giver. There is an obligation to protect the bones and hair of the unihipili and to also continue to provide it clothes, food, drink, and a place to live with the magician.

This is not simply a living magician exerting will or control over this spirit they way we think of, say, the genie in a bottle. This will likely depend on the previous relationship between the two individuals. Given what information we now have access to, the relationship will likely depend on the evoker’s will and intent, provided the ability to call forth and bind the deceased spirit is held by the magician. As this spirit is thought to reside in the living area itself and Hawaiians place emphasis on good relations with others (when it wasn’t time to try to conquer their neighbors), it makes sense that this was more of a cooperative relationship than adversarial one.

According to the text, the ritual words must be said at every meal, but the reasoning for this is in other footnotes. There is a concept that suggests the spirit may not have had much in the way of power, but through the magician worshiping the spirit, the spirit becomes powerful over time. This is similar to how some modern magicians reference egregores or servitors, with an initial creation and a charging phase, with perhaps specific skills or intents being conveyed. Here, the concept is that the spirit has already been created, will be charged over time, and will go forth to do the will of the magician.

As a final note before going into the ritual text, I wanted to bring up the multiple references in the document with regards to children being used in this practice. While the thought of this happening to a child can be disturbing to us, it must be remembered that this was pre-modern medicine and childbirth (and childhood) was much more dangerous. Child mortality was likely high, even if no official figures were likely kept (or accurate). While it is never stated as such, this may have been thought of as one way to keep the family together, in the same living space, sharing meals and items of necessity with the rest of the living family.
The translated meal invocation/prayer (with {} and () being my insertions):

“Return, O {name of deceased}.
Here is thy food.
Here is thy fish.
Here is thy clothing.
Here is thy awa (kava drink).
Here is thy malo (male loincloth).
Come and eat thy fill.
Then go again to thy play and skip around. Amen.
The tabu (taboo) is lifted and we are free.
Unto {name of deceased}, the spirit separate from the body, a spirit body”

So, where’s the ritual? The entire process is the ritual. All of these items were made or prepared by hand and iron tools were not available to Hawaiians until the first Western sailors made contact with them through ship exploration. The preparation of the body down to the bones and hair, the offering of the red and white loincloths, which were hand made from beating certain fibers until soft, then woven by hand. The offerings of the blanket (also beaten, woven fibers), the kava cup, and other daily use items that were set aside for their use. It doesn’t state whether all of these items were made from scratch as part of this ritual or whether they belonged to the deceased. When reading all of the items given prior to and stated in the prayer, you find similarities to ancestor worship and burial practices in other cultures.

The charging of the spirit through the worship at meals lasted for some period of time that isn’t stated. The example given in the text suggests that a period of months may have been needed. Nothing is mentioned about whether a recharge period was needed, nor only recharging once a day or week after the initial build-up. It was interesting that the magician had to take a piece of bone or hair and all of the daily use items, if they were to have to go away during the charging time for several days. It doesn’t state whether the magician keeps up with the prayer while traveling (and possible), but since it would be in their best interest to do so, it should be assumed they did it if possible.

And this is only the first part of the process. Once the magician feels the presence grow strong, it is time for the second phase. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, it is not possible to fulfill the second part of the process. Kilauea’s lava lake is now solidly underground.

The second phase involves splitting the remains into four parts and depositing those parts into certain geographic regions to then have them transform into an elemental spirit. Part of the hair is thrown into the lava lake at Kilauea, to be transformed into a “wind body”. Most of the bones and some of the hair is thrown into the sea, to become a shark. A “finger or fingernail” is thrown into an inland body of water (“river or pond”), to become a lizard. And the final portion is wrapped in the kapa (blanket) and deposited into a secret space in the magician’s home. Once again, the magician is said to need to recite the prayer, exactly as before. When the magician dies, this spirit is inherited by their heir. If the family dies out with no heir, the spirit is left to wander on it’s own.

It is thought that when this process is complete (and the prayers done properly), they magician (or heir) now has the power of three elements in one (or split?) spirits – the shark in the sea, the lizard on land, and the air spirit (wind body). These are loyal only to the magician and can be unleashed upon others at the will of the magician – so long as they continue to properly perform the prayers. If they do not live up to their vow (which isn’t described in the text in any form) or neglect the prayer (how many times?), the power of the spirit is brought back on the magician (and his family) seven fold. What gives pause is that the first part of the ritual is as much about honoring the spirit, maintaining its contact with the magician, it is honored at every meal, and that such care is taken to ensure it has all of the implements it needed in life, yet, in the second phase, it somehow reverts to a demonized version of the caring soul one would go to that length to honor. Together with the “Amen” when the rest of the prayer is clearly more towards an ancestor/friend honoring ritual, it smells of the influence from Christian missionaries that, while establishing a written means of the Hawaiian language (which didn’t exist prior to them), also cast the old rituals as something dark, sinister, and to be perilous to all involved.

The text goes on to describe how lesser unihipilis are made, which involve casting infants into various bodies of water, so that a more mild, but less powerful version could be obtained. There wasn’t a mention of responsibilities or of an initial charging of the spirit. The usage examples given are more about obtaining information or instruction. It is noteworthy that there may be some translation issues with these lesser unihipili. When the shark version is created, it is called a Unihipili Mano, but in the description of its use, it’s called a shark aumakua. In this context, the term was likely used in the context of a Land Spirit.

Altering the Unihipili Ritual

There are several modifications that will have to be made when using this ritual, both in its original version using human remains and in the adapted version using animal remains. We will also have to modify the entire preparation process, which is, essentially, the ritual. Another alteration will reside with making appropriate alterations to the second phase of the ritual, to capture the essence of what those places/locations/features meant, that we may adapt them to our modern dwellings and feature availability.

There are a few things that have to be assumed as I write this. I will assume the practitioner is familiar with a method of calling forth a spirit to their location. I will assume that the practitioner can sense the presence of nearby spirits or be able to use some alternative means to help ensure that this spirit is present. I will also assume that the practitioner will be able to gather their own remains, regardless of type, in a responsible and respectful manner.

Which type of remains should you use? That’s up to you. I’m not about to dig through a graveyard and disturb/desecrate a grave. I also live on Oahu, so this means I don’t have a ready supply of butcher shops available. While the invasive Western Asian Mongoose and feral(?) chickens are plentiful, I don’t have time to catch them. Thus, I will be doing the ritual using the remains of a crab (likely eaten by a mongoose) and a whole chicken from the supermarket. I don’t know that the hair/fur/feathers is/are needed, as the essence of the animal is in the DNA and will be present in their bones/cartilage. In the end, I need bones or equivalent, a minimum of four pieces.

That was the plan. After literally “coming clean” with my atheistic wife about making my grimoire for Madame Pele, her friend messaged that a bird they had been caring for had just died. Literally. The bird sanctuary was full and they had been caring for this injured egret for almost a week, by hand. Their dog would dig this bird up if they buried it and they didn’t know what to do. Understood, Madame.

After getting the bird, I, carefully, explained the purpose, but not in the dogmatic – this will hurt everyone else – sort of way we’d expect from, well hardcore anything, really. No, I lit four different kinds of incense, started a new candle, said a few kind words while passing the wrapped body over the incense. In an unexpected gesture, my son had come out to help me. Unusual, as he is young enough to not really understand what I believe (and I don’t proselytize). I had called Madame Pele and made sure she was there, as well as those others I regularly work with that had been “suggesting” I do this work.

As I brought the container towards myself, to show it to the thumbnail moon, I gave one final promise – that this bird would not be passed on. I asked it to serve only me, for the brief time I asked/compelled it to, and promised that I would not pass it on. I let the promise sink into the bones, made in front of Madame Pele and others, with the interested Land Spirits I’ve interacted with also in attendance… The remembrance done, I placed the body in a plastic container and weighed it down with Olympic weights. The ants can get in, but everything else should stay out.

I petitioned the local Land Spirits I have befriended, gave Madame Pele a drop of blood in thanks, and then had to sit and think about what others would’ve done. The truth was that I expected to scavenge the crab and buy a whole, headless chicken at the grocery store. If I was lucky, I told myself, I would luck upon a turkey.

An important point in this is that Madame Pele insisted that nothing be killed for this ritual. I asked about the abundance of examples given to “little infants” in the reference materials and she confirmed that it wasn’t her desire to have healthy, living organisms sacrificed for this ritual, whether human or otherwise. Between wars and the trials of growing up, there were more than enough “bodies and spirits” to keep any serious magician busy. I asked about the availability of these “bodies” given current medical practices/standards and she mostly shrugged. “Why kill the living when the dead are just as useful” was the response I got when asked how to bridge this gap.

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A literal example of Pele’s warming ritual. It was “safe” to do it for self love. I’ve done it for others. In a wide capacity. The energy YOU provide (to the paper and/or candle) is one part. Your relationship with Pele determines what she provides.










Believe it or not, this is a time reduction. You turn the candle to direct the wax. Your directing the wax is also focusing Intent and Effort. Your.mind knows what is written in the center.

Then, you burn it.





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Did you notice that the image by the end of your ritual, sort of looks like a face? Well except that what would be the nose is on fire

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No, I don’t notice most things by picture, my friend. It’s a glaring notch in my armor.

But I did secure a deal of sorts tonight, so I’m not surprised.

My son is underage and his mother is an atheist. No worries there, but I’m fond.of saying that, “sometimes those with ability have a responsibility”.

Maybe that was related

Maybe this was, too

The rest taken tonight were for the equivalents for the Warming rituals. I don’t just talk about them :slight_smile: I do them and the indicated that since I was going to photograph them, I may as well get something of “value”.

As if photographing them wasn’t enough.

I couldn’t find my diabetic lancet device (any of them), so, I went old school. I prefer the lancets.

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